Suitably apocalyptic fascia above the Virgin store in Union Square.  Looks like smoke issuing from the middle of a magnified vinyl LP.  The store has closed down.

And where’s the Virgin Megastore in Times Square?  The man in pink is pointing in the general direction, but it’s closed too.  Tower Records filed for bankruptcy in 2006.

broadwayshop

This store in Times Square that specialises in music (CD and songbooks) from Broadway musicals still seems to be doing okay

Look up a guide book and they will direct you to the East Village.  This one doesn’t open Mondays.

This is Norman’s, also in the East Village.  Decent selection.  Downstairs, everything was a buck and you got what you paid for

vinylonstreetev

This guy was doing a reasonable trade, also in the East Village

apple5thaveext

Apple store on Fifth Ave.  Open 24/7.  Midnight.

Sixty-five percent of music in the US is still bought on CD, but:

According to NPD MusicWatch, when it comes to the unit-sales volume of music sold at retail – including paid digital music downloads and CDs – Apple iTunes leads in the U.S. with 25 percent of music units sold, which is up from 21 percent in 2008 and 14 percent in 2007. Walmart (including Walmart, Walmart.com, Walmart Music Downloads) remains in second position with 14 percent of music volume sold at their stores and Web sites with Best Buy ranked third.

iTunes also continued to solidify its lead in the digital music arena, as consumer downloads from iTunes  comprised 69 percent of the digital music market in the first half of 2009, followed by AmazonMP3 at 8 percent. Walmart leads all sellers of CDs with a 20 percent share of the physical music market, followed by Best Buy at 16 percent and Target and Amazon tied at 10 percent each.


Midnight in the garden of good and evil.  Midnight in the Apple store on 5th Ave. A Monday night. There were around 300 people inside, including kids on scooters and kids sitting at the screens playing games. Their parents checked email or spoke to the tech guys. Or bought stuff. Or recharged their iPhones and iPods.


Who wants to hang out in a CD store?